Robertson, I. (2006). Teachers integrating online technology in TAFE.

Doctor of Education, Faculty of

Education, Monash University.

CHAPTER SIX – RESEARCH RESPONDENTS SELF-DECLARED

METAPHORS AND PREFERRED TEACHING PRINCIPLES

INTRODUCTION

Chapter Five introduces the research participants. It provides biographical information and
develops a model that represents the factors that support the adoption of online technology.

Chapter Three explores a range of concepts that clarify my ‘ill-defined’ notion of deep-
seated notions. Concepts considered include values, beliefs, pedagogic content knowledge
and personal practical knowledge. Two common features of these concepts are that they
have a significant impact on teaching practices and that teachers have difficulty in
explicating ideas such as values, beliefs, personal knowledge and personal theories. The
researcher is challenged to find methods to explicate these implicit understandings.

In this research I have used self-declared metaphors as a method to uncover the

respondent’s deep-seated notions of what constitutes good teaching. Respondents also
responded to a scenario that provided an opportunity to develop the ‘best program’
possible. Along with the self-declared metaphor this is a method that has been used to
explicate the preferred teaching practices to which the research participants aspire. Using
the information from this scenario and the general interview data, I developed a set of
preferred teaching principles for each respondent. These were returned to the participant for
validation.

The current Chapter analyses the level of consistency between the self-declared metaphors
that reflect the participant’s preferred teaching principles. This analysis shows that there is
consistency between self-declared metaphor and preferred teaching principles in six cases.
There is no evidence of inconsistency in the seventh case.

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I have seen this step as important as an assumption that underpins my research is that
where possible teacher’s practice is consistent with deep-seated notions of what constitutes
good teaching practice. I believe that my analysis demonstrates the trustworthiness of the
participants in self-reporting their self-declared metaphor and preferred teaching principles.
As a consequence there is a solid base upon which to compare the preferred and
implemented teaching practices of the research respondents. This comparison is conducted
in the following Chapter and contributes to the development of a model that represents the
dynamics that shape teaching practice when TAFE teachers integrate online technology.

SELF-DECLARED METAPHORS AND PREFERRED TEACHING PRINCIPLES

Lim

Lim teaches in the fields of English as a Second Language and the Occupational
Preparatory Program which prepares candidates for the Police Entry Examination. She
identifies the self-declared metaphor of ‘Being a Friend’ to represent her preferred teaching
principles. This metaphor has a strong sense of nurturing. Analysis of her interview shows
that she aspires to promoting social interaction, meeting the needs of individuals, catering
for differing learning styles, reduction, repetition and scaling.

In promoting social interaction Lim aims to develop relationships between the teacher and
learner, and between learners. Whilst students require the support and reassurance of a
teacher, group work and social interaction between learners are important.

The group work is important because they learn from each other, keep
motivated and keep interested in the course. Also they need the reassurance
from the teacher, the encouragement, and sometimes you can explain a bit
more.

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Social interaction also allows Lim to get to know her learners at a personal level. To be
aware of the issues with which these individuals struggle in their learning. Many of her
English Second Language learners have financial and family responsibilities that have to be
balanced against their study. She believes that it is important to be flexible enough to
accommodate these personal needs.

In this area you are not only the teacher but also the career teacher, nurse,
social worker as well. Because in my area [students] have lots of problems,
they don’t have jobs, they don’t have money and their children are sick.

Lim believes that good teaching accommodates a range of learning styles. Using a range of
teaching strategies, the possibility of successful learning is improved. She also sees
reduction and repetition as supportive of learning. She believes that breaking learning into
smaller, more manageable parts provides learners with the ability to be successful and to
receive positive feedback. At each stage repetition, revision and reinforcement are seen as
important. She believes that ‘overlearning is always good’. Where learners are struggling
with a topic she supports multiple opportunities for learning. To assist learners in their
study she also supports the notion of scaling, with learning activities and exercises
becoming more difficult as learning progresses and where the level of support is reduced.
In responding to the scenario that allowed her to develop the ‘best program possible’, Lim
talks about the construction of an entire program from smaller elements with exercises
developed for each section. Small assessment items build to a larger end-of-subject
assessment.

Jenny

Jenny teaches in the field of e-business. She uses the metaphor of a ‘Conduit Between Two
Lamp-Posts’ to describe her preferred teaching principles. When asked what appeals to her
about that metaphor, Jenny says

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I think because it doesn’t stop, it continues on, I’d say that the lampposts
are points in peoples lives where they cluster at a period of time and then
move on to another one. That conduit is assisting them to get to the next
stage. That’s the part that I like. Not being necessarily involved in giving
them anything else other than the process to get to the next point.

Jenny believes that there is often too much emphasis on content rather than focusing on the
notion of transition and continuing on. She aims to provide the means and the direction for
students to learn and to progress.

Content is important but what you do with the content is the next step it is
not the content itself.

Jenny aspires to the principles of promoting social interaction, meeting the needs of
individual learners, developing strategies for successful learning and self-directed learning.
She believes that social interaction and peer-group interaction are important to encourage
learning, and the development of learners, particularly those who are in transition from
secondary school to tertiary education. She recognises that individuals have different
learning styles and that these need to be accommodated if learning is to be facilitated.
When asked to give an example of what she means Jenny replies that some people learn by
reading, some need to interact with something and some need personal contact. She
believes that these needs can be accommodated through the good design in the use of
online technology. For example, incorporating communication devices can increase
interaction and support.

I guess the major principle underpinning it all for me is recognising the

learner’s needs and that to me underpins the whole thing. You can’t teach
unless you understand that everybody learns differently.

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John

John teaches in the field of business marketing. He identifies ‘Mission Control’ as a self-
declared metaphor to describe his preferred teaching principles.

The space station and mission control. Conduit of the flow of information
coming and perhaps harnessing energy, perhaps filtering occasionally,
bringing it down to their level, complex ideas broken down into bite sized
chunks.

He aspires to the teaching principles of learning through discussion and meeting the needs
of individual learners. He prefers what he describes as ‘the plenary approach’. This is
characterised as question, answer, discussion and debate. He does not believe that this
approach can be replicated online without a significant investment in resources.

I prefer classroom teaching and I don’t like online teaching at all. I like the
Socratic approach. Question, answer, debate.

John teaches a diverse range of learners. He notes the need to consider the learners and the
learner’s needs.

I find from my experience that we are a melting pot of international students

with various levels of literacy and different learning philosophies. I have
post year 12 students who are upset they missed out on university, TAFE is
their second or third choice. I have return to study mature age students …
and everything in between.

John describes himself as an approachable and caring teacher, available and with a deep
interested in the students’ learning. John’s preferred approach can be characterised as
teacher directed with significant levels of student-student and teacher-student interaction.

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Peer to peer communication would take up 25 to 40 per cent of class time in tutorials. He
treats students as adults and describes the relationship as follows.

It’s still hierarchical, I’m still the teacher and they are the student.
However, the gap wouldn’t be that much. But I don’t go overboard on
authority but if there is lateness, punctuality …

When asked about his idealised program John says that he would probably keep the same
model that he is currently using.

If I did enhance it, it would be to try to get a new age classroom developed that
would be a combination of a computer classroom and classroom. It would have
maybe 20 computers around four walls and room for group discussion tables,
breakouts. Some computer work, some work in your own time and doing
electronic assessment. Logging in and doing a test online, using the facility of
electronic submission of assignments.

Susan

Susan teaches in the field of health and aged care. She uses the metaphor of ‘The Ripening
Bud’ to describe her preferred teaching principles.

I have a picture of a little bud … what I try to do is to give the resources to

let go and be who they are.

Her espoused teaching practices promote a community of learners, self-managed learning

and development of the individual. She has documented her philosophy which is described
as ‘Transformational facilitation of learning’, the major characteristics are described in
Figure 7. There is a strong focus on the development of the individual in reaching their
potential.

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• Utilisation of adult learning principles

• Development of mentor/coach relationships with facilitator/student and
• student/student, building on their need for meaning as they learn
• Pre-occupation with purpose, values, ethics and the learning process NOT content
dumping
• Orientated towards the successful completion of the course without compromising
professional educational and nursing standards, human values and ethical principles
• Separation of causes and symptoms of problems and working at prevention and
solutions - are they part of the problem or part of the solution?
• Proactive and transformational yet patient
• Focusing on the mission of developing students as well-developed people who are
also effective, productive, proactive and energetic nurses
• Making full use of the life skills, work experience and resources of individuals and
the group
• Identification and development of potential within individuals and the group
• Recognising and rewarding significant contributions
• Designing and redesigning classroom activities and assessments to make them more
meaningful, challenging, innovative and reflective of current nursing practice
• Working to release human potential
• Modeling care without dependency
• Leading students in new and innovative directions
• Promotion of learning that broadens student options not narrowing them
• Aligning behaviour and processes to reinforce overarching values and focuses on
the goals of principled centred leadership in innovative educational and nursing
practice for the RN Div 2 in TAFE.
Figure 1: Transformational facilitation of learning. Major
characteristics (Source: Susan’s documented teaching philosophy)

Susan sees her relationship with students as a more experienced and senior professional
friend. She believes that her students need to take responsibility for their own learning and

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that ultimately they need to feel comfortable with an identity as ‘nurse’. Whilst she is
conscious that her students need to develop specific skills and techniques in order to work
effectively, she also believes that there is a need for individuals to explore their own
interests within the identity of ‘the nurse’.

Focusing on the mission of developing students as well-developed people

who are also effective, productive, proactive and energetic nurses.

Susan believes that ‘We don’t teach people, we help you learn’. She considers that a
flexible approach provides students with an opportunity to develop the skills required in
professional practice. Learners are required to self-manage their learning in a supported
environment. Susan is keen to establish structures that are supportive of learning and
removing these as students grow more confident.

My job is to make it challenging enough for you so that it stretches you but
not that hard that you can’t do it.

The idea of a community of learners includes students, teachers and support staff such as
librarians who assist when students are working away from the classroom. Susan was
instrumental in designing a flexible learning centre with group areas to encourage
interaction between students rather than separate corrals that support individual learning.

That idea was about not having individual corrals but having a community
of students working together.

Ultimately, Susan assumes that her students want to learn and that they should take
responsibility for their own learning. Individual learners should be assessed for their
capability and provided with support to develop learning strategies. Guiding learners
through possibly difficult transitions in their professional development is also a concern for
Susan.

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I’ve got to look at the group to see what they’ve capable of. And a lot of
them have not been to school for a long time, confidence is down, their only
experience of school is chalk and talk so when any new course starts we
ease them into flexible delivery.

Sally

Sally teaches in the area of tourism and uses the metaphor of ‘The Guide’ to describe her
preferred teaching principles. She provides students with the resources, options and
assistance that they need to ‘get where they’re going’.

I tend to teach alongside my students rather than above my students … I

don’t believe that I am there so much to teach as to guide them in the right
directions and show them the options and give them the sources and point
them in the right direction.

Sally aspires to the teaching principles of flexibility and responsiveness, developing

relationships with learners and maintaining learner interest. Her desire for flexibility is
informed by her own experience as a student.

I’m the sort of person as a student who gets bored really easily in a class so
I like to mix it up quite a lot … there might be some reading, some activities,
some videos, some group work … I like to have flexibility with the students,
to be able to say well today I’m not going to talk to you for three hours I’m
going to take you out on a little journey around the streets and do
something else.

When given the opportunity to respond to a scenario that provides the opportunity to
develop her ideal program Sally explains that her students need some face-to-face contact,
the use of an online component would be for specific topics and areas. The combination of
online and face-to-face provides a sense of continuity as well as the freedom for students to

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do the work in their own time. The design of the program would be interesting, fun and
easily accessible. It would incorporate some online and some text-based case studies
assignments.

Sally does not believe in the exclusive use of online technology for teaching or that online
technology is suitable for all units. She describes it as lacking flexibility and
responsiveness, it is difficult to show her preferred teaching style online because ‘it’s pretty
much hard and fast’. It does not provide the opportunity for the teacher to be immediately
responsive and to provide the same level of support that is possible in the classroom.

Sharon

Sharon teaches in a professional development program for TAFE teachers. She uses the
self-declared metaphor of ‘The Communicator’ to describe her preferred teaching
principles.

Communication is the fundamental part, sure content is there but if I can’t

communicate or they can’t communicate with me, or I can’t get the message
across to them then I’m not succeeding.

Sharon stresses the importance of ‘keeping contact’ with students and providing a variety
of teaching styles to appeal to the different needs of students. She believes that it is
important to modify courses to particular learners needs. Whilst she sees the role of the
teacher as taking responsibility for course organisation there needs to be flexible.

I guess the teacher will set the structure at the start but that can be adapted
and modified during the classes because something may come up, the students
might have something they need.

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Scott

Scott teaches in the areas of interior decoration and engineering. He uses the self-declared
metaphor of ‘The Organiser’ to describe his preferred teaching principles. It is important
for him to present a professional image. In a general sense, he is responsible for
determining the content, sequence and pace of learning. He identifies regular
communication for pastoral care, meeting individual needs, access and welfare as important
teaching principles. He describes his ideal teaching program as a combination of the use of
online technology and face-to-face teaching. Online technology provides the opportunity
for learners to revisit lesson materials, face-to-face teaching provides the opportunity for
presentations.

Scott believes that communication is most important whether students are on- or off-
campus. Communication provides opportunities to provide pastoral care. He sees online
communication as facilitating this process. His experience is that online communication
allows students to contact him out of hours and to ‘talk’ with him about issues that may not
have been possible in a classroom environment. In one case, s student required personal
support to complete her presentation.

I got an email from one of these girls, only 18, fresh out of High School. I suffer
from depression, I hope we can keep this between you and I, I just started
taking my medication in the last week because I can feel this subject getting on
top of me.

Scott feels that it is important to consider access and welfare issues. He believes that
everyone should have the opportunity to learn. This concern seems to be partly informed by
his personal experiences and by social issues in his regional area.

I left school at 15, I never envisaged that I would have the opportunity to go to
University for example. I’m a tradee, I run my own business, that was my
ambition and I got there.

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He also refers to the performance element of teaching in a face-to-face environment.

Scott’s teaching practice demonstrates that, like Sally, he is prepared to assist students
beyond normal ‘classroom hours’.

CONCLUSION

I propose that teacher’s self-declared metaphors and preferred teaching principles form the
foundation upon which teaching practices emerge when TAFE teachers integrate online
technology into their practice. This section shows that the research participant’s self-
declared metaphors and preferred teaching principles are either consistent or not
inconsistent.

Lim’s preferred teaching principles include promoting a learning environment that is

supportive through social interaction and the development of relationships. By
accommodating learner’s personal needs and learning styles she improves the opportunity
for learning. Through reduction, repetition and scaling she believes that she supports
learning through good educational design. There would seem to be a high level of
congruence between her self-declared metaphor of ‘Being a Friend’ and preferred teaching
principles.

Jenny’s preferred teaching principles support the development of relationships that support
learning. Through the development of successful learning strategies and self-directed
learning her principles support independent learning. By accommodating differing learning
needs she optimises the possibility of successful learning. These principles are congruent
with her self-declared metaphor of a ‘Conduit Between Two Lampposts’. The application
of these principles has the potential to support learners in progressing to the next stage of
their development.

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John’s preferred teaching principles of learning through discussion and interaction, and,
meeting the needs of individuals are not inconsistent with his description of the self-
declared metaphor of ‘Mission Control’. He desires to act as a conduit of the flow of
information, harnessing energy, perhaps filtering occasionally, bringing it down to their
level, complex ideas broken down into bite sized chunks.

Susan’s self-declared metaphor of ‘The Ripening Bud’ and teaching principles that support
transformative learning are congruent.

Sally’s aspirational teaching principles of flexibility and responsiveness, developing

relationships and maintaining interest are consistent with her self-declared metaphor of
‘The Guide’. She tries to ‘teach alongside’ the students rather than above them, to show
them the options, provide them with the resources and point them in the right direction.
Sally desires flexibility in her teaching practice, to be responsive to the students needs. This
concern is derived from her experience as a learner. She becomes bored easily and looks
for variety. She is always looking for new and interesting ways to teach.

Sharon’s teaching principles of appealing to the different needs of learners and flexibility
are consistent with her self-declared metaphor of ‘The Communicator’. She tries to ensure
that her teaching approach is flexible enough to appeal to a range of learning styles.

Scott’s self-declared metaphor of ‘The Organiser’ is consistent with his concern to present
a professional image and his preferred teaching principles of regular communication,
meeting individual needs, access and welfare.

This Chapter has established the trustworthiness of the participant’s responses to the self-
declared metaphor and the preferred teaching principles that emerged from response to a
scenario along with other interview responses. Chapter Seven moves to compare the
preferred and implemented teaching practices of the respondents when they integrate online
technology into their teaching. As a result of this comparison, a model that represents the
dynamics that shape teaching practice emerges.

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